Practice
Artists have used children as models for countless works over the centuries. Child modeling has become a distinct activity because of the explosion of commercial media over the past several decades. Many young actors, notably Katherine Heigl, Lindsay Lohan, and Brooke Shields, began as child models. The book, Lisanne: A Young Model, described the life of Lisanne Falk, a colleague of Brooke Shields at the Ford modeling agency in the late 1970s. Falk, like Shields, was a relatively successful child model who posed for magazine covers, notably Seventeen, for editorial fashion layouts, and for advertising in magazines and mail-order catalogs. Both models appeared in the 1977 Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs. Falk, like Shields, moved from modeling to movies as she became older. More recently Australian child model Morgan Featherstone has achieved world-wide success but has also attracted criticism due to her looking older than her age.
The visible success of child models who became media celebrities has led numerous children (and their parents) to pursue modeling as a part-time career. In practice, most modeling jobs go to children who have already worked as models and have developed a working relationship with a modeling agency. For prospective models, the challenge is to land the first job. This usually happens through referrals by people already involved in modeling. It's also possible to land jobs by contacting modeling agencies directly. Occasionally, a child may be "discovered" in a public place or through other grassroots means[1], such as:
- Competing in local and national beauty contests
- Working with local retailers for small-scale modeling
- Entering mall fashion shows
- Entering photo contests
Child Modeling Scams
A reputable modeling agency does not require up-front payments or special training before taking on a new child model, and firms that require this should be carefully investigated before parents sign any contracts or agreements. If a photographic portfolio is required, it should be done by an independent professional photographer and not at the modeling agency. Furthermore, any agency that guarantees modeling work or high payments is likely not disclosing all the necessary details and should be treated cautiously.[2]
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